TLDRs;
- South Korea partners with top tech firms to expand AI infrastructure nationwide.
- Up to 260,000 Nvidia GPUs planned to boost Korea’s AI capacity significantly.
- Samsung relocates 1,000 workers to Texas as part of global chip strategy.
- Korea aims to rival the US as a leading AI computing hub.
South Korea is making a bold move to position itself as a global leader in artificial intelligence, joining forces with some of its largest technology companies to build a nationwide AI infrastructure.
On November 27, 2025, the government announced the formation of a working group that includes Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor Group, SK Telecom, and Naver Cloud.
Chaired by Second Vice Science Minister Ryu Je-myung, the group convened to discuss strategies for deploying up to 260,000 Nvidia Blackwell GPUs in Korea.
This expansion would increase the country’s installed AI GPU capacity from roughly 65,000 units to more than 300,000 units, a significant leap in computing power that underscores South Korea’s ambition to emerge as a major AI hub outside the United States.
Coordinated Industry Effort
Executives from participating companies have agreed to hold recurring coordination meetings to ensure that deployment strategies remain aligned and effective.
The initiative is not just about increasing hardware capacity, it is a strategic push to cultivate an AI ecosystem capable of supporting next-generation research, commercial applications, and advanced manufacturing processes.
The government’s involvement emphasizes policy alignment and infrastructure support, ensuring that Korea can compete on the global stage for AI development and deployment.
By leveraging Nvidia’s cutting-edge GPUs, the working group expects to accelerate AI research, machine learning training, and industrial applications across multiple sectors.
Samsung’s Global Chip Strategy
In a related move, Samsung Electronics announced plans to relocate roughly 1,000 employees to its new office at the Taylor, Texas semiconductor complex early next year. The site, covering nearly 4.9 million square meters, will house a next-generation chip fabrication facility designed to produce advanced AI chips.
Samsung has committed US$17 billion to the project, which is expected to begin operations by late 2026, producing 16,000–17,000 wafers per month once stabilized. The relocation and expansion reflect Samsung’s broader global strategy, aligning its AI hardware production with market demands in both the US and Korea.
The Taylor facility’s proximity to energy-intensive operations, including Bitcoin mining and large-scale data centers, has prompted infrastructure upgrades to support the high electricity demands of next-generation chip production.
Building Korea’s AI Leadership
The nationwide GPU initiative, combined with active participation from major technology players, underscores South Korea’s ambition to be a global AI powerhouse.
By dramatically increasing AI hardware capacity, the country is preparing to host advanced research, support commercial AI applications, and drive innovation in sectors ranging from automotive to telecommunications.
Industry analysts see the move as part of a broader geopolitical push, with Korea seeking to reduce dependency on overseas computing resources and position itself as a hub for AI development in Asia.
With ongoing collaboration between government and private companies, Korea’s AI ecosystem is poised to expand rapidly, strengthening the nation’s technological influence on the global stage.


